Sooo... I deviated a little bit today. Long story. lol

Just an update from today....

Breakfast:

• Egg McMuffin
• 16 oz. of water

Snack:

• apple
• 12 oz water

Lunch:

• yellow rice with sausage
•  2 servings of fruit
• half/half sweet tea 

Snack:

• apple
• granola bar

Dinner:

• spaghetti and salad
• sweet tea

Okay... so today was a "so-so" day. Will do better tomorrow! And one of my biggest mishaps today was the fact that I had two heavy meals-- yellow rice and spaghetti.

Day 2: A Little Bit Won't Hurt, Right?

Okay so....

Just a quick update as to what I ate today:

Breakfast:

• 1/2 cup of dry Cheerios
• small whole grain biscuit with jelly

Morning Snack:

• 1 lg banana

Lunch:

• deli sandwich (same as yesterday, except with 100- calorie bread)
• Quaker Oats Granola Bar
• small apple
• 12 oz of water

Afternoon Snack:

• 1 pack of Quaker Oats Kids Snack Mix (so yummy!)

Dinner:

• 2 narrow slices of thin crust pepperoni pizza (I know, I know!)

But ooooh wait for it...(Fitness Routine): I danced the night away in Zumba for a whopping 1h 15 mins! 

Evening Snack:

• handful of Pepperidge Farm chips
• apple

So... as you can see, my choices were a little better than yesterday's; but of course, there are still some things that could have been substituted with healthier items. 

My dish for now. Watching the Finals, I'm sure you are, too. 

"My" 30-Day Shred

Guys, I have had it. I've gained a total of 18 pounds in the last few months!!! Why? Certainly there's a simple answer to this: UNCONTROLLABLE EATING. It's been a mess. I've never been this size, and the more I think of it, the more I eat. And when I do attempt to start a day off eating healthy, the day ends with stuffing my face with extra snacks.

So, here goes-- today starts Day 1 of my 30-day shred. I have 30 days to lose between 8-10 pounds (by July 13th).  Keeping track on this blog will (*fingers crossed*) help me meet this goal. Currently, I am 165, 5ft. 3in tall (and there goes the evil villain music in the background!).

So, tonight, I'm drinking water. And I'm going to bed. I ate too many fatty stuff once again today. Here's the list:

Breakfast:

• Cheerios (not measured)
• Lactaid fat-free milk
• 1 large banana
• 8 oz. grapefruit juice

Lunch:

• Deli sandwich (2 slices of turkey,1/3 c lettuce, 1slice Swiss cheese, 1 slice tomato, 2 pickles, 1 tbsp mustard, whole grain bread)
• Granola bar
• Apple
• water

Dinner:

• Fresh tossed salad with grilled chicken
• 1 serving of tortilla chips and salsa
• water

Doesn't sound to bad, right? 

And wait for it-- the bad part of snacking/eating in between these meals:

• 3 small bowls of Fruit Loops with 2% milk
• 6 chocolate chip cookies
• handful of tortilla chips 

If I can eliminate the "bad" stuff, and replace it with fruits and veggies, I should be one step closer to my goal. So tomorrow, I'll have to change out the "bad" with the "good."  

Catch you guys up tomorrow! 

He's Back Ya'll: Carl Thomas

If you don't like this new piece by R&B artist Carl Thomas, you're not a real fan of the "soul" genre:

Don't Kiss Me. This is too cute. Please request this song on your favorite R&B Stations!

If It Wasn't for the Beat

... I wouldn't have fallen in love with this song.  I'm not a big Kem fan, but he's truly growing on me.  His music is so romantic.  It seems his songs make me want to slow dance in a dim lit room, surrounded by candles, and sipping on the finest wine (that I can afford!).

Check it out:

Are you a Kem fan?

Happy Sunday! #HotWorshipDay

Solo recording gospel artist Isaac Carree came back home today to GreaterTravelers Rest Baptist in Decatur.  I'm so glad that a friend of mine introduced me to this place.  In addition to Pastor Smith's sermon, fuel was added to the worship flame when Carree sang two of his songs from his solo album, Uncommon Me.  I had to purchase the album today. And I would hear this song all the time on the radio (catch it right in the middle, too) but never knew who it was:

Love it!

Happy Sunday, folks!

Aaliyah: Let Memories and Music Live

I can remember the day it happened.  I had fallen asleep in my dad's recliner, and the phone rung.  And i wasn't prepared for what my friend was about to tell me.

"Aaliyah died in a plane crash."

I was in complete denial.

Not my favorite singer. Not Aaliyah.

And when I turned to BET, sure enough, it was confirmed.

If I had to compare the moment to the hurt of any other star's death, it would be similar to the shocking surprise of Michael Jackson's. I cried and cried.  I just couldn't believe it.  So gentle, so peaceful, so beautiful...one of our angels was gone.

It took me a while to come to terms with this.  But as an adoring fan, I will always remember her beauty and youthfulness, cherish the memories of her gracefulness, and listen to her music.

So many of her songs were honored with the "That's my jam!" title, which included "Back and Forth," "At Your Best," "One in a Million."  She was truly talented and delivered music that will forever have an indefinite shelf life in the world of music.

We Love You Much, Aaliyah!

(image courtesy of  The Place 2)

Kings of Leon: #OldieButGoodie

I know this is an oldie, but it's a 'goodie.'  I went to Loca Luna the other evening with my cousin, and there was a live band ripping the stage and bursting into this melodic tune:

I was really feeling this one.  Ever since, I've been going into a Kings of Leon 'overload.'  If you haven't taken the time out to get familiar with the group, you might want to do so NOW! 

#thatisall

#ThankfulThursday: Thank God for Flip Flops! And Headphones!

This is completely a random blog; but music will come into play ;-) 

Sometimes, the best pair of shoes a gal can have are a pair of flip flops from Old Navy (My cousin inspired me to write this one- TRL).  Not only are they inexpensive (2 for $5), but they're quite comfortable.  As a matter of fact, in the summer time, rarely you'll see me with closed-toe shoes or other types of sandals.  Most of the fashionable ones don't have enough cushion.  And if they're the thong style and they pop, you'll end up being in a funk all day because you just popped your favorite sandals (trust me, I know).

So unless I'm going to an event or something, I stick with the flips. And if those pop, then guess what? They were only $2.50 to begin with!
I have three pairs of Old Navy flip flops: a black, a brown and a green pair (you know you have to add at least one splash of color).

And here's where music comes into play...sort of. ;-)
Now that my randomness is done, I finally bought a really good pair of headphones to listen to music at work.  With them, it's like I'm in  a car that has a Pioneers in the back.  Everything is pretty crisp, clear and detailed.  Here's what they look like:

You can never go wrong with Sony.

What type of headphones do you rock?



image1: Fabulously Frugal, image 2: BigW

#WhatI'veBeenListeningToAllDay

Probably one of the longest hash tags you've ever seen... but I had to do it. Here is it, 11:30 p.m., and I've been listening to these two songs ALL DAY LONG.  That's right. Eight hours at work was divided among these two tracks:

Please, DO NOT sleep on this guy's album.  It's probably the BEST MALE r&b/ soul album released this year.  If you haven't copped MUSIQINTHEMAGIC yet, I suggest you get to it.  You can also hear the entire album on sites like Grooveshark and Spotify (need an invite to this one).

And as for Sean Kingston, it was hard to take this song off of repeat today:

Sean Kingston hit the mark with this one. The beat is so catchy, and the lyrics give you that summer, partying vibe.  I was snapping my fingers at my computer, then came home and exercised off of this song.  I did this for about forty minutes, and got a full workout with this song on repeat (think I'm crazy, right?).

Needless to say, I was in a good mood all day.  I found two songs that kept my energy up to par.

#thatisall

Does "Shelf Life" in the Music Industry Matter Anymore?

Apparently, the longer shelf life isn't the new thing in music, especially in the hip/hop, r&b world.

What happened to the songs that used to stand out? The songs I could play years after and dance to it as if it just aired for the very first time? 

Since it seems as though artists (not all, but some) are more consumed with what matters now then what will matter and make a permanent dent into the music world, I guess I'll have to stick to the "oldies" but goodies.

And the award for best r&b song for the week goes to:

"So Into You..." for the young lady who just met the guy of her dreams... it was the national anthem.  And even if you were single, it was just something about this song that kept you snapping your fingers, and bobbin' your head to the beat, feeling every bit of it.

(listening to it now, and doing everything I just mentioned)

It's songs like these that make you want to learn every word because they're classy (yet fun and flirty) and they have a powerful meaning behind it where people can relate.  And what a beautiful voice!  I'm so glad that Tamia is planning to release an album this year.  She's so needed in the music world right now. 

This song was released in '98.  Thirteen years later, it still makes me want to two-step.

Nowadays, a lot of the new songs have no real substance; therefore, after its reign, no one wants to really hear it anymore, thus leading to a shorter shelf life.

What type of songs do you prefer?

"Behind the Music 2" With Mary J. Blidge

Gotta love Ms. Blige!

I'm going to make this brief.

This is THE BEST Behind the Music story that I've seen in a while.  Mary J. Blige's story was aired tonight on VH1.  I was glued to the TV the entire time.

Words cannot describe how inspiring her story was.  She's the realest.  She truthfully told the story of her triumphs and trials.  And it ends with the perfect fairy tale ending: she finds hope, the ability to forgive, and the love of her life. It was almost as if you could actually feel her pain and her happiness.

They told her that one day she would sing for kings and queens... and she finally got a moment in a standing "O" performance at the Presidential Inauguration  for President Obama in 2009.

Ms. Blige is a true depiction of a star who made her dreams happen, and was able to turn her life around for the best and become a role model for all women.

Gotta lover her!

image: Soul Discoveries

J. Cole has me Thinking... What's Next for this Guy?

Thanks to my friend Christina (follow her on Tumblr), there's a new song for me to dissect.  Rap artist J. Cole has a song entitled "Work Out" that has me questioning his motives and his next moves/trend.

Listen:

Now J. Cole is HANDS DOWN a favorite on the rap scene.  But Dre (Taye Diggs) and Sidney (Sanaa Lathan), Brown Sugar's dynamic duo, would have been a little disappointed with J. Cole on this one, I think.

Why?

Because it seems as if he's abandoned real hip hop on this one.  The beat is hot (love the Paula Abdul addition, too) and there's no doubt that it could possibly be a club banger (I'm bopping my head to it as I write this); but it's not his style at all.  Lord knows I'm not comparing him at all to Drake, but I see it more as a transition into new music-- singing on his own hook and rapping on the next.  Is this what Mr. Cole wants to do?

Honestly, I think it was just a test, just to see whether people would be more in tune with this type of music (which is what's getting more air time), to see if he's a flexible artist, or whether he should stick to what he's best at.

On the contrary, I want to hear more "Lights Please." I want to hear more of the verses I heard on Miguel's hit, "All I want is You." "Loosing My Balance...," "In the Morning," "Nothing Like It..." these are the reasons why I fell in love with his music.  No garbage lines were permitted in these brilliant selections (just to name a few).

In my opinion, everyone has a gift, and J. Cole could run the mic in any hip hop battle he chooses.  And it's okay to have a couple of songs like "Work Out" (since they only have a short shelf life); but songs like these won't allow him to exercise his skills as needed.

What's your take? Am I over analyzing this one?

Feelin' The Beat: John Legend and the Roots Put a Spin on a Powerful Classic

One thing I'm learning to do in this adult life is to really get in tune with myself, who I am, and my purpose.  Sometimes, it's hard, but when you figure out one piece to the puzzle, it makes life easier!

And while it's only a portion  being added to my personal music interests, I'm finding myself more and more connected to old school music, music that my parents used to listen to; ole' skool beats and raspy-sounding voices.  Guitars, pianos and acoustic sounds reaches deep within me, causing me to close my eyes sometimes and just feel the beat.  This is what real music is all about.

Normally, I'm up on my music scene, but I have to give my brother the credit for introducing me to this one (thanks Kap!)

Picture it.  1973 (in my Sophia's voice- The Golden Girls).  Bill Withers writes and dedicates this song, "I Can't Write Left-Handed," to one particular soldier who made it out of war alive, but missing a limb:

Pretty deep, right?  And as a mere reflection of this heartfelt piece, years later, we have a remake of this, with John Legend and The Roots:

Yup, they nailed it. Did you feel it as much as I did?

I think in this generation, we need more soulful music, the kind that tells a story and captures meaningful, respectful and powerful moments.

What's your take on music? Would you like to hear more soulful music like this?

#MusicMonday: Kelly Row's Album Release, 90's Music in Effect

  photo courtesy of  Style Bistro

I'm waiting for the release of Ms. Kelly Rowland's new album, Here I Am, to be released July 26.  When I really like an artist, I'll definitely support and cop the disc. And I think Kelly is well-deserving of this one.  Here first track was instantly catchy one; I can only hope that the album lives up to that hit (it was truly a BIG ONE).

Until then, I think I'll listen to some throwback music, the 90's (whatcha' know about that?).  And since I tweeted about that this morning, one of my co-workers decided to send me an OH So 90's playlist for me to enjoy today.  I was jammin' like it was '92!

For the remainder of the evening, I'll work on a 20-minute exercise regimen (yep, I'm so serious about getting fit), probably a Jillian Michaels' video, that will work my entire body. Then, I'll probably pump up the volume on the 90's jams again until my favorite Monday night shows come on.  

Welp, that about sums it up.  Happy Monday, everyone! 

#SocialSaturday: Weekend Relaxation and Fun

I told myself that I would relax this weekend. After coming off an AWESOME vacation in L.A., it's truly a MUST that I stay at home, do a few chores, and spend the rest of the time doing absolutely nothing that requires rigorous activity.

I did however, plan to do two things for myself today:

1. Hair consultation: The beauty of natural hair is it's versatility. If I want to wear it naturally curly or as a twist out one day, I can; if I want to wear it straight, a blowout and a flat iron will do the trick. Anywho, I went for a complimentary consultation at TAG Concepts Salon off of Peachtree Road (Buckhead) in Atlanta. They specialize in natural hair. The stylist who I spoke with was wonderful; she answered all of my questions and I made an appointment for a steam therapy treatment before I cut it again, which will add moisture and help train it to stay straight.

2. I'm not a big Harry Potter fan, but I am a Transformers fanatic! I haven't seen it yest, so I think I'll head over to Regal 24 Cinema for a matinee.

That's pretty much what my #SocialSaturday consists of.

And yours?

1. Rita's Hair Salon  2. Image: X Former Movie

#FitnessFriday: Time to Get Motivated

Okay... I've been like a complicated relationship when it comes to getting down to the "nitty gritty" to work out. I've had some "good" weeks, where I work out at least four times, hard core exercising, followed by "bad" weeks of random, out-of-the-blue work out one day out of the week (if that).

What's wrong with me?

You would think that the summer time, hot weather and cute outfits in the store would be motivation enough. You would think that the vision of me walking through Atlantic station with chic shorts and a tank would even do the trick. And if those didn't push me enough, the planned vacation to L.A., and the idea of wearing that two-piece I wanted so badly would really push me over the motivation line-- it didn't work.

So now, there's this hair cut that I want-- I want it badly-- but in order for me to get it, I HAVE to lose between 10-15 pounds in the next three months. If I put my mind to it, I'm sure this will be a piece of cake, right? And if I play my cards right, Hopefully I can do it in two! I'm hoping to lose 1-2 pounds weekly.

Will I go back to my old eating habits? Absolutely not. The whole point is to not only lose weight, but to make it a lifestyle.

I will probably update my blog every Friday with my progress.

Hair cut, here I come!

What motivates you to stay healthy and fit? Any suggestions?

(photo courtesy of faqs.org)

Adding Social Media to my Personal Dreams

I came out of school, hoping to find that perfect job. Now don't get me wrong; I'm blessed to have a job, but I'm in search of something more meaningful, more purposeful.

What are dreams really made of?

We all had an ideal dream job at some point. I pictured (and still can at times) myself working in Hollywood, in the lime light (and every other light Ye mentioned in the infamous All of the Lights) as a publicist or an event planner.

Then there was the idea of me working behind the scenes in production, whether it be film or television (with Tyler Perry, preferably).

But it didn't happen that way. In the world that we live in, it's about hustling and bustling to get to the top. Many times, I find myself frustrated, wondering if my dreams will ever become reality. Trying my best to stay focused on God and staying positive through this journey, I find myself falling more for a dream that never existed until now-- working in the Social Media Sector.

At first, I felt like an old person who didn't want to part with the A-Track once cassette came into play; traditional media and PR was my thing, and I wasn't trying to hear anything else.

But it is now that I realize the importance of social media, especially in this type of economy. Turning a 'fun toy' so to speak into a profitable alley can help transform and transition the world into a better place.

What are my dreams now? Ever changing, just like social media. But if you mix this in to what my previous visions were, who knows what I can do on the red carpet with such technological abilities?

"Female Success Factor" Uplifts and Inspires Future Leading Women in the ATL

I found out from a little "tweety" pie that Rolling Out Magazine was hosting "Female Success Factor" at the Atlanta History Center. And I wasn't going to miss it for the world.

As I sat in the auditorium waiting for the guests to arrive,I began to blush. And the funny thing about it is that no one said anything to me. Was it because I was about to be in the presence of successful, well-known black women that were once, or still is, in a position that I desire to be in one day?

While waiting for the panel of guest speakers, I met a few people, networked and found myself sitting amongst the brightest and most talented African American women in the area.

Soon, the first set of guests -- Shanti Das (CEO, Press Reset Entertainment), Nicole Garner (President and CEO, The Garner Circle), Sheri Riley (President and Founder, Glue Inc.) and Kaira Akita (Actress)-- came to the stage. My pen was ready, my eyes were focused and my ears were attentive.

A couple of hours later, the second group took the center stage. Ebony Steele (Co-host, Rickey Smiley Morning Show), Charlene Baistien (National Marketing Director, Strength of Nature), Marcia Page (Corporate Advertising Director, Moroch) and Terrinee Briggs (CEO, Collective Renaissance Guild) continued the discussion with their stories, dreams and pursuits.

Was I impressed? "Impressed" is by far an understatement. To hear how these dynamic ladies persevered through it all seemed to ignite a fire in my bones; it gave me the confirmation in my spirit to continuously aim high.

A few key notes that really stuck with me were some of the advice the ladies left behind. Ms. Riley stressed the fact that "God has a plan" for us all, and we must pray and seek Him at all times. Ms. Das stressed the importance of making key relationships and to take your own destiny into your own hands. Ms. Akita said to make sure that we define our own life brand; Ms. Paige left us with an acronym, I.N.S.P.I.R.E.D. (image, network, spirit, priorities, innovation, respect, envision).

And believe me, I was definately I.N.S.P.I.R.E.D. How about you?

Getting Back On the Grind

Ok, so I've been really, really been behind. But I'm back. In full.... stay tuned...